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Beurre Manié – How to Thicken Soup and Stews easily

A few weeks ago we sent our first newsletter and I made a painful typo – I referred to Beurre Manié as Beurre Maine. ApparentlyI decided it was time to change ‘kneaded butter’ into something that was French New England Butter.

Ooops.

Beurre Manié is easy to make and will store in the fridge for a long time (though I try to make just enough to use for each dish to save space). It has one purpose: to easily thicken soups, stews or other liquids. To use Beurre Manié, simply add it to liquid that is simmering (or very hot) and continue to simmer until the dish thickens. It’s important to allow it to simmer for at least a few minutes as this will help the texture of your sauce as well as cook the flour (and prevent a raw flour taste).

To make Beurre Manié, mix equal parts flour and butter in a bowl. It’s easiest if the butter is room temperature but that’s optional. The results will be the consistency of toothpaste.

Do you use Beurre Manié? If so, for what?

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I’ve used beurre manié for thickening light-coloured soups and sauces, but tend to use bulk-cooked frozen roux more. I make up a big batch, half peanut butter-coloured, the other half as dark as it can get without burning. Cool it, then freeze it in logs. Just chop off as much as needed for shrimp etouffé, or a last-minute gumbo.

Next time I make a batch, I’ll try the oven-baked method, rather than stovetop. Have you ever tried the oven-baked method?